The president of Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo has received a pinkslip, of sorts. Bill Hersteen has been suspended, with pay.Hersteen maintains his suspension is illegal because it was given to himafter the board voted in a closed meeting. He says that violates the stateopen meetings law. Hersteen has been at the helm for three years — and it’sbeen a period of enrollment growth for the community college.Hersteen says he and trustees of the college have been at odds over hisauthority. Last year, Hersteen fired the vice president for humanresources, a move some college trustees opposed. A special meeting of thecollege’s board of trustees is set for next Wednesday. The board’s chairmandid not respond to requests for an interview.
